Clive Mayhew

From technology businesses to vertical AI

Clive has spent more than 30 years in technology, spanning the commercial internet, ecommerce, cloud software and online learning. In the book’s introduction, he describes his experience with Netscape Asia, CDNOW, Sky Software and OpenLearning as the background to his interest in industry change.

His work with GOLF.AI brings that interest into golf: an industry with distinctive language, rules, relationships and operating constraints. The book uses that setting to examine a wider question—how AI can help businesses carry a customer request through to an outcome.

Why leaders need to build

Clive’s central message is practical: leaders need firsthand experience of building with AI to understand its impact. Observing a workflow, testing an idea and working through its exceptions reveals where the value and the limits actually sit.

The book’s FDE Playbooks turn that message into field exercises. Readers map how work enters a business, identify hidden human effort, set boundaries for automation and measure what changes.

About the book

Vertical AI: Changing the Game is a forthcoming book from Dean Publishing for founders, business leaders, owners, operators and technology leaders. Its 12 chapters explore customer intent, workflow design, memory, trust and the places where human judgement matters most.

Golf provides the opening story. The questions also apply to hospitality and other service businesses where customers still rely on a person to bridge the gaps between systems.

Start with an excerpt from The Pro Shop Moment, or explore what vertical AI means in practice.

Find out more

• GOLF.AI — Clive’s work in golf and AI
• Clive Mayhew on LinkedIn
• The ModGolf Podcast — Clive discusses AI and the golf industry
• Dean Publishing — the book’s publisher

For a free Chapter 1 or a book enquiry, email vertical@clive.ai.